Foster e



(No Model.) I

E. PARSONS.

COMBINED HOUSEHOLD IMPLEMENT. No. 297,838. PaQtent-ed Apr; 29, 1884.

TATES PAT T OFFICE.

FOSTER E. PARSONS, OF MILWAUKEE,NVISOONSIN.

COMBINED HOUSEHOLD IMPLEMENT.

sPncIPIcA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,838, dated April29,1884.

' Application filed March 25, 1884. (No modch) To all whom it mayconcern.

Be it known that I, FOSTER E. PARSONS, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of WVisconsin have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Combined Household Implements; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to household implements; and it consists in acombinatiolrtool for opening fruit-jars, cutting cans, driving anddrawing tacks, &c., all as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of my combined implement in therequired position for use in opening an ordinary glass fruit-jar.

Fig. 2 is a view of the said tool when employed for cutting open ametallic package, such as a sardine-box.

A represents the lever-handle of my device, provided with a long centrallongitudinal slot, at, having an enlarged aperture, a,.at one end ofsaid slot, by means of which aperture a the knife B is inserted toplace. This knife has a short central shank, b, and head or handle B,which overlaps the edges of .the said slot, while the shank b is squareand adapted to fit pretty snugly between the walls of the slot, butwhich can be turned around, by reason of the aperture a, whenever thesaid knife is to be removed from or inserted within the slot. When it isin place, it can be moved longitudinally any required distance,according to the size of the can or box to be opened, as the base of theblade of the knife B shoulders or overlaps the edges of the slot insimilar manner to the head B. The lever-handle A terminates in ascrew-driver, A. At the opposite end of the lever-handle, and cast orotherwise rigidly formed therewith, is the curved head 0 of theimplement, one end of which terminates in the tack-hammer 0, while theother end curves inward into a hook, c, and beyond that, outwardly, hasthe tack drawer or claw .c. D is the pivot or axis of the tool when usedfor cutting open metallic cans or boxes, and consists of a knife orcutting-blade, preferably, of a half arrow-head shape, withilat base d,and between the blade-base and the head 0 of the tool the said blade Dhas a round shank, d.

\Vhen a fruit-jar of the type shown in the drawings (and commonly calleda Mason jar) is to be opened, the device is applied as shown in Fig. lof the drawings. These jars or cans have metallic covers '15, whichscrew onto screw-threads formed in the glass neck of the jar, and thesecovers-have ridges, lugs, or projections formed upon them, as shown ate. 'Then, grasping the jar with one hand and the lever-handle A with theother hand, with the hook c of the curved head 0 caught over the saidridge e, a slight push from the person will serve to instantly turn andrelease the cover of the jar; and when it is designed to tighten a coverto place, (as in canning the fruit, &c.,) a reverse operation to thatjust described will quickly and successfully accomplish the desiredresult.

When a metallic package is to be opened-. such as a sardine-box, atomato or fruit tin can, and the likethe device is used as shown in Fig.2that is, the knife D is placed upon the top of the can at its center,and by a sharp blow driven through the metal top, and then the knife B(which has been adjusted the required distance in the slot a, accordingto the size of opening which is desired) begins its work. The said knifehas a double blade that is, from its center to' each end it is beveledon opposite sides, back of each of which beveled surfaces the blade isstraightand hence it will out either way, no, matter whether thelever-handle is turned toward the operator or from the operator,thelatter cut being sh own in Fig. '2. The moment the lever-handle A isturned, the pivotblade D turns also on its round shank cl, and hence theuncut part of the can-top is clamped between the flat base (1 of thepivot-blade and the adjacent surface of the curved head 0, and thusthere is no pos: sibility of the said pivot-blade slipping from placeuntil the circular cut is entirely completed, which is very quickly andeasily done.

The operation of the tack'drawer, tack-hammer, and screw-driver parts isso obvious as not to require any description, and the entire device willbe found to possess great utility for every household, as well as forgrocers, pro-= vision-dealers,-a'nd all persons engaged in themanufacture or sale of canned goods.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a combined householdimplement, the

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combination of the lever-handle A, provided with the slotwa and aperturea, with the knife B, having square shank b, and head 13, the ends ofwhich are adapted to overlap the edges 5 of said slot, and the shank tohe moved longitudinally therein, and the pivot-blade D, having fiat based and round shank d, substantially as set forth.

2. In a combined household implement, the [O combination of thelever-handle A and curved head 0, terminating in the hook c,substantially as set forth.

3. The combined household implement described, consisting of the curvedfruit-can opener, the straight lever-handle with adjustable I 5cutting-blade, the pivot-blade, and the screwdriver, tack-hannner, andtack-drawer, all as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atMilwaukee, in 20 the county of Milwaukee and State of 'Visconsin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

FOSTER E. PARSONS.

\Vitnesses:

S. S. STOUT, H. G. Unnnnwoon.

